


Canvassing

by Nemesis (ThetaSigma), ThetaSigma



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Canon-typical dead body, Established Relationship, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 20:29:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5980090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/pseuds/Nemesis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/pseuds/ThetaSigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elliot and Olivia are called out to a dead body in the middle of the night and make a discovery. John and Fin make a decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Canvassing

Elliot slammed the door of his car and joined Olivia in the alleyway. He sighed as he looked down at the dead body. Liv bent down and inspected her. “Ligature marks,” she said. “Body’s still warm, Warner should be able to pin it down better, but I’d say within the past couple hours.”

“You think it’s our perp?” Elliot asked.

“Not sure, but looks like his work,” Liv sighed. It was the third dead body in the month, a string of young college women.

Warner arrived. “Another one?” she asked.

“Looks like it,” Elliot said grimly, looking down at the victim’s face. She had been pretty, and she was dressed up like she was meeting someone – just like the others. “Can you estimate a time of death? It’s still early enough to canvass the apartment building,” he said, indicating the building above them.

Warner nodded and squatted to take a look. “I’d say 2-4 hours,” she said, “based on body temperature, but I’ll know more after the autopsy. Looks like she got a piece of him, though.” She indicated a broken acrylic nail. “Might finally be able to get some DNA.”

“Thank God,” Liv said. She looked up at the building and turned to Elliot. “Ready?” 

He nodded.

***

They had knocked on 52 doors. Many hadn’t answered. Some had slammed the door in their faces. Of those who _had_ talked to them, most had seen nothing, heard nothing. One or two “thought they heard a scream” but “weren’t sure”. 

Annoyed and slightly discouraged, they got to door number 53. “Let’s hope these two aren’t asleep, didn’t have the TV on too loud, and don’t need hearing aids,” grumbled Elliot.

Liv knocked.

Fin opened the door, wearing pajamas, and stared at them. Elliot and Liv stared back in shock. Neither of them had known Fin lived here. 

“Who is it?” a voice called, and John, also dressed in pajamas, came out towards them. “Oh.”

Liv bit her lip. She _knew_ Elliot hadn’t known yet. _She_ hadn’t known they were living together, for that matter.

“How’d you know where to find us?” John asked finally, breaking what was becoming an incredibly uncomfortable silence. “I doubt the Captain gave you our address.”

Fin glanced at him and John shrugged. “There’s no point in denying it,” he said to Fin.

Elliot opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again, tried to make _any_ sound, and shut his mouth again. He cleared his throat and started over. “Can, uh, we come in, maybe, not do this in the hallway?”

“Where are our manners?” John said chidingly. “Come in.”

“So, um, this is a shock,” Elliot said. “I had no idea.”

John and Fin looked at each other. “Yeah, we’ve kept it pretty quiet,” Fin said. “Sorry,” he added, “It’s not about you, of course, I’m just not…”

“I know,” Elliot said hastily. “And it’s okay. All of it.” He still looked slightly shell-shocked, and none of the three could blame him: it _was_ a huge revelation.

They stood in uncomfortable silence for some moments longer while Elliot processed everything. “How long?” he asked finally.

“Two and a half years,” John said. “We’ve been in this apartment a year and a half. Speaking of which, why are you _here_? I’m sure you didn’t come to make a social call, since neither of us recall giving you our address.”

Liv finally spoke up. “The perp struck again, right outside. Alleyway behind this building. We were just canvassing the whole apartment building; we had _no_ idea. Did you hear anything?” Liv asked hopefully.

“What time?” Fin asked.

“Between two and four hours ago.”

John and Fin exchanged a look, and John blushed slightly. “Uh, no, we got home three hours ago and then we were… otherwise occupied,” John said. 

Liv flushed and Elliot screwed his eyes shut against the image. “Okay, well, thank you!” he yelped. “We’re gonna keep canvassing, see you tomorrow,” he added quickly, heading for the door.

Liv followed him out. “Sorry to bother you two, and honestly, we really didn’t know you two lived here,” she said. “Hell of a way for him to find out.”

***

“How long have you known?” Elliot asked in the hallway.

“A while,” Liv admitted. “Well over a year.”

“And you never thought to _tell_ me?” Elliot asked, hurt.

“It wasn’t my secret to tell, El,” she said gently. 

Elliot nodded begrudgingly. “I suppose,” he said gruffly. 

Liv could tell it had hurt him they hadn’t told him, that he had found out this way. “Elliot, it’s not a commentary on you,” she said. “You know that.”

Elliot shrugged. “I would’ve accepted it,” he said. “I should’ve known. How did I not? Why wouldn’t they tell me?”

“I think,” Liv said, “that they’re both still very new to this whole thing, and that they’ve got a lot of personal history with relationships to sort through, and that they don’t like talking about something they’re not sure of. They didn’t tell me either; I stumbled upon it too.” She tactfully didn’t mention that she had pieced it together herself, no need to insult Elliot’s observational skills.

Elliot nodded in thought. “I guess,” he said. She could tell it still hurt, and that it would, that it felt like a lack of trust. 

“El, they didn’t tell _anyone_ ,” she said firmly, looking him in the eye. “And you can’t let it hurt. You have to let it go; you don’t want them to think you don’t approve or accept them.”

Elliot resolved to let it go, he knew now, and that would have to be enough.

***

John sat down next to Fin, pulling him close. “That makes everyone, I believe,” he said.

“Man, I can’t tell you how shocked I was to open the door and see Elliot and Liv there,” Fin said. “I was just going ‘well fuck.’”

John was silent for a moment, then said, “We might as well be a _little_ more open now,” he said hesitantly. 

Fin looked at him, and John looked back steadily. “I’m serious,” John said. “We’ve been hiding for a while, we’ve been together two and a half years, and we’re still here and in love. I think it’s time, Fin.” He hooked a finger into Fin’s necklace and pulled him into a kiss.

Fin sighed and broke the kiss. “You know I don’t like to talk about myself at work, John.”

John gave him a look. “Fin, I’ve respected that. But it’s wearing on me. I’m not asking for hugs and kisses and blowjobs under the desk, I’m asking for acknowledgment. That’s all.”

Fin quirked a smile at John; he was bad at denying this man anything. “Okay,” he said softly, pulling his lover into another kiss. “I can do that. For you.”

***

It was surprisingly easier than Fin had thought it would be. He called John ‘John’ at work now, not ‘Munch’, and they sometimes mentioned plans or going home together or something. They still made disparaging jokes about each other, because of course they did, but sometimes something more affectionate came out, and that was okay too. 

And sometimes they snuck a kiss in the bathroom on a long night when the squad room was dead, just because they could.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Comments are love <3


End file.
